Kern National Wildlife Refgue and Tule Elk State Reserve

I went to the Kern National Wildlife Refuge on Easter Sunday with my friend, Arlene. When I first heard there was a wildlife refuge in Kern County near Bakersfield, I didn't think much of it. What kind of wildlife could be near Bakersfield?? Well, there are more animals and birds around here than one would think.

The refuge consists of over 11,249 acres of land, including wetlands and riparian areas and is home to over 200 species of birds, some of which winter here, such as the Sandhill Crane. On my visit, I saw several species of birds including: Red-Winged and Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, American Coots, Cinnamon Teals, American Avocets, Snowy Egrets, Black Necked Stilts and Killdeer, just to name a few.

While the area seems to be predominantly occupied by birds, there are also other forms of wildlife present such as Cottontail Rabbits, American Ground Squirrels, Coyotes, San Joaquin Kit Foxes, Bullfrogs ,Western Rattlesnakes and Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizards.

I have been to the area twice so far and on one trip, I spotted a Coyote in the wetlands, probably hunting for some dinner. At the first parking lot, there are a few lakes where you can hear the Bullfrogs croaking (but I have yet to see one - they seem to be good at hiding).

The refuge is open everyday, from sunrise to sunset, with a few exceptions. The auto tour route is closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays during waterfowl hunting season, which runs from October thru the end of January. The refuge headquarters are open from 7 am to 4:30 pm.

The refuge is located off of the I-5 at the Highway 46/Lost Hills exit, 18 miles west of Delano, CA.

We also visited the Tule Elk State Reserve. The reserve is home to a small herd of Tule Elk, a species that was nearly brought to extinction, but now is making a recovery thanks to reserves such as this. The elk were pretty far out in the park, but we were able to see them with binoculars. The reserve is also a nice little area for bird watching. I saw several species of birds there including Red-Winged Blackbirds, American Robins, California Valley Quail, Western Kingbirds and Western Meadowlarks. We also spotted 2 pairs of Burrowing Owls near the reserve, just off the side of the road.

The Tule Elk State Reserve is located off of the I-5 at the Stockdale Highway exit, about 3 miles to the west. It is open every day from 8 am to sunset.

I posted a few pictures below.

Links to Check Out:


Kern National Wildlife Refuge
Tule Elk State Reserve